Snow pussies: Schools make tough calls with the twitch of a tail

Roker, pictured here after the 2010 Snowmageddon, makes specific recommendations about school closures.

Flickr/gamppart

Making the call to close schools for inclement weather has always been tough for school officials, particularly when the snow hasn't even started falling. In Albemarle and Charlottesville, a pilot program between the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA and the school systems is making that judgment easier– and providing once homeless cats with a second chance.

"We were used to making those school closing decisions ourselves," says Josh Davis, COO of County Schools, who says the idea that a cat could save the school system time and money and keep students safe during winter weather seemed far fetched. "I was dubious," he admits.

That was before Davis met "Roker."

The five-year-old tabby first showed his forecasting talent when he arrived at the SPCA in December 2009, just days before the so-called "Snowpocalypse" that dumped two feet of snow on the area. While other cats seemed unaware of the impending blizzard, the normally placid Roker grew increasingly agitated as the storm approached.

"He was pacing, and his tail was just twitching and twitching," recalls volunteer Judy Schmubarton, who at first joked with SPCA colleagues that Roker was taking after his famed Today show namesake. Their laughter stopped when Roker behaved the same way before each of that brutal winter's subsequent storms.

"The tail always twitched," says Schmubarton, "but in early February, he let out a yowl that let us know we were in for a doozy!" Roker was right again, as the February 2010 "Snowmaggedon" brought another 18 inches.

That summer, Schmubarton, frustrated that Roker hadn't been adopted, reached out to the County schools with an idea so crazy she figured officials would laugh it off: let Roker's predictions determine whether to close schools.

She was stunned when County Schools Superintendent Pam Moran agreed to give Roker a try.

"We embrace high-tech solutions for a variety of challenges," says Moran, "but it's well established that animals have instincts we can't fully understand, and it would be foolish not to harness those instincts for the benefit of our students."

Hoping to split the costs of kitty litter and cat chow, Moran contacted City Schools Superintendant Rosa Atkins to see if the City might join the so-called "snow pussy" project. Atkins agreed.

"It was a chance to test a pilot program without committing to a cat of our own," says Atkins, who notes that last year, pleased with Roker's performance, the city schools adopted "Sprouse," a two-year-old Himalayan mix who had shown similar forecasting talents while housed at the SPCA.

"He's been a delight," says Atkins, who defends Sprouse's decision to close schools early on Friday, January 25– when a mere half-inch of snow was called for. "I believe it was the right choice," she says, expressing gratitude for Sprouse's caution. "Roads get slippery quickly," she notes.

Atkins invites any parent frustrated by the decision to come to the city schools' new cat housing area to meet Sprouse.

"You can look at that cat's face and see that he cares about the kids," says Atkins.

One challenge, both Atkins and Moran agree, has been establishing clear communication with Roker and Sprouse. Fortunately, the last few mild winters have allowed administrators time to study the kitty sign language that enables quick decisions under pressure.

"A single tail twitch to the left is a one-hour delay," Davis explains of Roker's signs. "Two twitches would be two hours. If the tail goes to the right, that means he wants us to close schools early. A long meow is a full closure."

And no one ever wants to hear the type of yowl Roker let out back in 2010.

"That," says Davis, "would signal the need to shut down pre-emptively for at least a week."

Both Atkins and Moran say they're proud to have found a creative solution to a problem that has plagued administrators for years.

"The snow pussy program is here to stay," says Moran.

~The Rutabaga is an occasional humor column in the Hook. It is satire, not news.–editor

22 comments

Dawg January 26th, 2013 | 3:04pm

Satire, right?

Christine January 26th, 2013 | 3:24pm

O M G

Jenni January 26th, 2013 | 3:50pm

Courteney please say this is a joke!

LP January 26th, 2013 | 4:07pm

Ahem, commenters, please note the section under which this article appears: "The Rutabaga,"i.e The Hook's version of The Onion. Given the absurdity of the school closures, though, I can see why you might find the story plausible... (or pawsible or clawsible).

If you missed the tagline at the bottom of the article, The Rutabaga is an occasional humor column in the Hook. It is satire, not news.--Courteney Stuart

Jenni January 26th, 2013 | 4:24pm

Well, Im ADD. But it's not far from the truth.

jimi hendrix January 26th, 2013 | 5:24pm

Cold Pussies are never good.

Billy Boy January 26th, 2013 | 8:22pm

I thought that this was clever commentary added by ACPS kids that was worth a quick view. Kudos to Mr. Josh Davis (Chief Operating Officer) - the snow whisperer in each school division seldom ever gets any love.

But not so far from the truth either. The county schools superintendent may not have embraced Roker the cat for weather forecasting, but she sure has embraced a number of cockamamie educational ideas and practices in the name of "innovation."

And if "clear communication with Roker" is a fiction, then the lack of clear (and honest) communication between the county central office and parents and teachers is a stark reality.

The cat-named-Roker story was laughable. The real story in the county schools is not so funny.

St. Halsey January 27th, 2013 | 9:28am

It's only good satire because it's so close to the truth.

Dolemite January 27th, 2013 | 10:58am

The Hook >>>>
>>>> The Rutabaga

*Groan* How many brands can you hope to put out there? This is dopey having two levels of definite article indentity. Better to have a nom de plume that you associate with this than a different journal label.

Dolemite January 27th, 2013 | 11:00am

'indentity' was a typo; or Freudian slip?

Mr. Silk January 28th, 2013 | 12:12am

Hawes, did Courtenay ome with a warranty?! Just being humorous CS! X0X

DLM January 28th, 2013 | 9:20am

You may think it's funny, but as a parent who has driven in bad weather on roads without forgiveness, trying to pick up her kids who were in school that was cancelled while the snow or sleet or icy rain was falling, and who witnessed crashes on the side of roads, and heard of buses in ditches, and teenagers up trees...THIS IS NOT FUNNY! School officials are trying to keep our kids and families safe. I respectfully decline to make light of such decisions! And you should too.

really? January 28th, 2013 | 10:21am

@ Dolemite what constructive criticism you offer. Finally The Hook pulls off a funny headline with impunity and you offer that it's dopey? really? That all you got brah? No cutesy lil RIP's or nuthin? Keep your groaning to yourself unless you have something funny to say.

HollowBoy January 28th, 2013 | 10:42am

It is a known fact that animals often behave differently before a storm or oncoming inclement weather. Or an imminent earthquake. So this story is not as ludicruous as it might sound.
How often have we read about a dog or horse giving signs to its master that there is danger? They seem to have some instinct that humans lack, some "sixth sense."
However, basing school delays on "one tail twitch or two" would be going much too far!

Captain SillyPants January 28th, 2013 | 11:03am

I find the use of the words "Snow" and "twitch" in your headline very offensive.

We'll I'll tell you what, Bootabaga, or whatever your name is, there is a 12 year old black lab who lives next door (when he's not living right here, I mean) and this animal DOES have that snow predicting talent. He advises us of serious bad weather by bringing a snow shovel to the door about 12 hours before the event. Labs are natural stick carriers, so it is no problem for him to grab the shovel from wherever I lost it and dump it on the porch right in front of the door. We here the noise, look outside, and there sits Rebel, doing that butt-body-tail wag thing labs do, looking at the shovel, and looking at me.

As to our latest snow fall, which wasn't much, really, Rebel didn't perform, but he did bark at the door in his continued effort to train us to bring treats. Bark, dispense treat, bark, dispense treat. We're getting pretty good at this. If we are especially prompt, we are rewarded by the opportunity to present yet a third treat. But this time, I just looked at him and said, "What about the shovel? It snowed last night." He looked toward the garage, and there was the shovel, lying on the ground along the wall facing the house.

Bark, dispense.

Chris C January 28th, 2013 | 11:34am

it's sad how people have lost their sense of humor...geez

CYNDI January 30th, 2013 | 11:34am

Animals are smarter than some give them credit for!.. Mrs Moran along with the City Schools and surrounding counties have a big responsibility for your children.. I know Pam Moran,she is a wonderful person, who loves our kids and wants to see them succeed and excell, cant do that if they are hurt or crippled or worse in an accident that could have been prevented by keeping them off the roads in inclement weather... Rural roads are the last on the list for clearing/treatment.. A little fun for these predictions, may just save your childs life.. Kudo's to the Kitties!

CYNDI January 30th, 2013 | 11:41am

Animals are smarter than some give them credit for. Mrs Moran along with the City Schools and surrounding counties have a big responsibility for your children.. I know Pam Moran,she is a wonderful person, who loves our kids and wants to see them succeed and excell, cant do that if they are hurt or crippled or worse in an accident that could have been prevented by keeping them off the roads in inclement weather... Rural back roads are the last on the list for clearing/treatment.. A little fun for these predictions, may just save your childs life.. Kudo's to the Kitties!